Comparison of the educational environment at a medical college under two different curricula

Abstract

Objective: To compare the perceptions of students regarding the educational environment at a medical college which underwent a curricular change using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) at two different points in time. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Wah Medical College, Punjab, Pakistan. The DREEM instrument was distributed in 2015 to students in all five years of the MBBS program and in 2019 to students in years 1-3 of the MBBS program.The DREEM questionnaire comprised of five categories which included learning, teaching, academic self-perception, atmosphere, and social self-perception. Results: A total 692, participated in the study [400 (57.8%) students in 2015 and 292 (42.2%) in 2019]. The total median DREEM score in 2015 was 122 (134-111) whereas in 2019, the overall median DREEM score slightly increased up to 126 (142-103) (p-value 0.850). The comparison of the two different curricula with categories of DREEM inventory score showed that a significant association of two curricula was observed with students' perception about learning (p-value <0.001), positive perception about course organizers (p-value <0.001), atmosphere (p-value <0.001), and academic self-perception (p-value 0.031). Conclusion: Curricular shift had not made a significant impact on the overall educational environment and the institute was able to maintain a healthy learning environment.